Dragons: A Guide to Classifications and Training
by Epic Dragon Trainer
Summary: Hello all, Hiccup here. I have published mine as well as Bork's notes on dragons as a guide to any and all new dragon trainers. I apologize in advance for any sarcasm, it's kind of written into my character (damn you, you cheeky scriptwriters). This guide will give you everything you need to know about how to identify dragons and what to do if you tumble across one.
1. Chapter 1

An Introduction to the World of the Bizarre

**Hello loyal fans of my Inventor story, this is just a little thing I put together in my spare time while I'm working on the war in The Inventor. Rated T because hell with it, might as well. It will also contain several of my own dragons, so that there is about four dragons per class at least, just to fill up the chapters. Just to be clear, this is not connected to the Inventor, and so dragonese has not been interpreted yet.**

Hello fellow dragon trainers. My name is Hiccup Horrndous Haddock III. It's a great name, sure, but its definitely not the best. Using my own observations and the notes of Gobber's (supposed) great-great-great-great grandfather, I have compiled a guide for dragon trainers into the world of dragons.

Let's start off with the basics, shall we. What is a dragon? A dragon, of the genus _draconis_, is identified as a reptilian-like creature with the unique ability to regulate its own body temperature due to its other trademark ability, fire breathing. Not all dragons breath fire, but some form of oral projectile usually accompanies these creatures. There are almost all tough and scaly, with fireproof hides and sharp claws. They are extremely intelligent creatures, capable of understanding rudimentary human speech as well as express emotional behaviors. Although all dragons share a common ancestor, most likely a kind of sea serpent that evolved out of the sea thousands of years ago, they have branched off into various sub-groups of dragons, each with their on defining characteristics. We call these dragon classes, but I'll go into those a little bit later.

A dragon's diet varies heavily from dragon to dragon, but the majority of dragons tend to be carnivorous, with the only known exception being the Flightmare. Most dragons will settle for fish, which is easy to find around the freezing shores of Berk. Dragons seem to enjoy diving into the waves head first and scooping up a good helping of fish. Most also forget that they have a fragile human on their back who will most likely get hypothermia if the habit keeps up. It is always best to feed your dragon well, unless you want a very serious cold. Tidal class dragons are of course masters of fishing, but almost all dragons are capable of it. Some, like Deadly Nadders, make a favorite of chicken or mutton.

Nearly all dragons are capable of flight of some kind, although some, such as the Speed Stinger, cannot fly but still have vestigal wing strustures that define them as a member of the _draconis_ genus. The fact that most dragons can fly doesn't mean that all dragons make a habit of doing it. Some can go their whole lives without flying and are perfectly content with that, making their homes in areas where they can hunt and live without need of flight. The dragons that prefer flying though, can experience adverse health effects if left grounded for large periods of time. They can become overly energetic, extremely on edge, and with a high propensity for pyromania. I can't tell you how many houses I've had to rebuild due to a sick dragon. Eventually we had to contain sick dragons in the caves by the cliffs, or else the whole town would be in ruins.

Dragons are highly social creatures, and prefer to nest in groups where they can interact with other members of their species as well as with others. My own personal studies on dragons kept in isolation, much like humans, can go insane without social contract and can sometimes give inanimate objects personalities to make them seem less lonely. I suspect this may have happened to my own dragon, Toothless, in his confinement in the cove, had I not come along to free him, which may account for his profound happiness upon seeing me. It is my belief, upon observing these creatures, that they are able to communicate ideas to each other through a mixture of body language and growls, but since growls are unique to each species, body language is a much larger factor. I have yet to puzzle out the complexities of this communication, but I am very excited for when I do.

Dragons are incredibly intelligent creatures as well, most with a brain capable of processing complex emotions and thoughts similar to humans. It is my belief that the only reasons that dragons have not surpassed humans is their lack of thumbs (more important than you'd realize), and there not being a need for it. As humans, we have had to make tools so that we can survive and, as I'm sure you're aware, if you're reading this, that dragons have no need whatsoever for tools of any kind to survive. They are incredible creatures and should not be considered lower than ourselves. They have their own culture and people too, we have just been too blind to see it.

**Okay, so after I do all of the dragon classes and I move on to training you dragon, I will accept specific topics about dragon training you want to hear in the reviews. Even if you don't have an idea, please be sure to review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Stoker Class

Let's move onto the first class of dragons, stoker class. As the name implies, these dragons are serious hotheads, most of them with a serious mad temperament. They are characterized by extremely hot fire and an aptitude for pyrotechnic stunts. These dragons love to set things on fire, and their type of flame ranges from the liquid fire of the Monstrous Nightmare to the precision blasts of the Terrible Terror. The dragons in this class have some of the hottest fires in the dragon world, barring the Deadly Nadder, which so far holds the record. These dragons should always be treated with caution and respect, as they can be dangerous if threatened.

These dragons have the nastiest temper in the known dragon world and are some of the hardest to train. They can be extremely irritable and some (I'm calling out my cousin Snotlout on this one), never truly bond with their rider. They tend to like practical jokes and destruction and enjoy seeing things blow up. This is mainly why the twins love this class of dragons, especially Terrors and Fireworms. When training one, this type of dragon should be treated extremely respectfully and cautiously, because they can flame up (literally) if provoked and their panicked rages are a trademark of the class. For this reason, Stoker Class dragons must be kept happy and well cared for at all times, or you risk losing your home, or, if you're Snotlout, the seat of your pants. I honestly don't know why I gave that klutz a Nightmare.

Let's give a few examples. The first, and most prevalent Stoker Class dragon is the Terrible Terror. These are the dragon equivalent to cats and dogs, in size and actions, if dogs or cats had wings, incredibly sharp teeth and claws, and precision fire breath. They are four legged, about the size of a house cat, with a proportionally large head with horns, two wings mounted behind the shoulders, a tail, and ridges down its back and tail, and they come in a wide variety of coloration. Males tend to be more colorful than females. Terrors are rarely found alone, as they are primarily pack animals. They do hunt, but are mainly scavengers, and can be found around the docks and feeding stations of Berk. They are not the brightest of dragons, but compared to other creatures their intelligence if amazing. They have shown to be easy to train and can be given simple commands, which they can learn relatively quickly. Their fire attack is one of the most precise in the dragon world, barring the Night Fury, although its range is not very far. It has a five shot limit, which, when added together in a pack, can be quite ferocious. They love food and will do almost anything for a fish or chicken leg. These dragons shots will replenish once every 24 hrs, the usual cycle for shot replenishing and cannot be sped up by any other process. These dragons make excellent house pets, and they are, like cats, excellent at eliminating rodents. They are not very acrobatic in the air, but they are able to fly for long periods of time without tiring, although most are too lazy to do so.

The next example is the most famous Stoker Class dragon, the Monstrous Nightmare. This is a powerful creature with a nasty temper that is able to set its entire body aflame at will. The Monstrous Nightmare is a two legged dragon, using its clawed wings as arms when it walks. They are one of the largest common dragon species, and can grow to be more than 20 ft high and almost 50 ft long, They, like the Terror, have proportionally large heads with horns, a tail, and back and tail ridges with a large maw. Nightmares are extremely territorial and can become aggressive if its territory is threatened. It has the unique ability to set itself on fire at will, although this ability can only be done for the same amount of times as its shot limit, 7. Their fire tends to resemble a liquid form, sticking to everything it touches and burning very hot for long periods of time. They also are very sensitive, and some have little control over their fire, which can erupt from them at unexpected times like a sneeze, hiccup, or cough. This is why it is recommended to never bring a Nightmare inside and to build a (preferably fireproof) home for it outside (and far away from) anything you don't want burned. When exhausted, these dragons are the most susceptible to Fire-Exhaustion, a condition in which the dragon is no longer able to breath or produce fire. There are only a few things that can revive a Fire-Exhausted dragon, among them being Fireworm gel, or the Queen, or a dip in the lava flow under Dragon Island, which contains a number of minerals capable of reviving a Fire-Exhausted dragon. The Nightmare recharges its shots in a normal dragon cycle, and nothing can hasten this process. This is a very proud species of dragon, and can become insulted, so be careful to respect it, and it will respect you. (Again, why on earth did I give Snotlout one of these?)

Next in the Stoker Class is the Fireworm. These dragons are the equivalent of cockroaches, if they had skin which could melt your face. Their skin gives off an enormous amount of heat, although does not ignite, due to a chemical process which occurs in the skin cells of the dragon. This chemical can be collected from dead Fireworms and can be used to create a compound which is able to burn under almost any conditions and is almost impossible to put out, which I call Dragon Heart. Fireworms are always found in packs, and they enjoy pitted and cold areas where their heat can reverberate and intensify. The level of heat Fireworms give off remains constant, but the glow that they give off increases the shorter the distance between two Fireworms, and the more of them there are, the brighter the glow, which is why a pit of Fireworms can almost be too bright to look at. This is a social adaptation that gives them an advantage as a pack and is triggered by the release of a pheromone under the skin. While Fireworms are usually found in packs, packs collect in hives, usually in mountain caves. They are governed by a Queen, an enormously large Fireworm that produces a gel-like substance which Fireworms use to regenerate their fire. The gel, along with the Queen, are able to restore the fire of a Fire-Exhausted dragon, a gift which is only given to the most worthy of dragons. Fireworms replenish their fire once every cycle but can also be replenished by consuming the gel produced by the Queen.

Last in the Stoker Class is the Typhoomerang, the dragon the gang and I had the pleasure of discovering and naming. This is an incredibly large dragon, with a massive wingspan capable of reaching over 30-40 ft. They, like the rest of the Stoker Class, has a large head and horns as well as back and tail spines. The Typhoomerang is capable of normal takeoff and landing, but when threatened they can spin around at high speeds, releasing sparks from their mouth and claw tips. They create an enormous burn area, which leaves a spiral burn mark that is characteristic of the species. This spiral motion generates lift in a perfect circle, creating a protected area which is almost impenetrable. This method of flying is easier and is used mostly by the younger of the species until they can do a normal takeoff. They replenish their fire once in a cycle but it can be done immediately if they eat eels, normally toxic to dragons, although the Typhoomerang has some form of resistance to it. They are an extremely curious species, and like humans, although they have not been formally trained, and it is yet unknown if it is possible to ride properly.

These dragons are, as the name suggests, hotheaded and should be treated with care. They are...difficult to work with, but, with enough patience (sometimes you need a lot of it) any dragon can be trained.


End file.
